GANF ArtBeat winners!

The artistic and photographic talents of pupils with special needs from across Lincolnshire were celebrated in a new competition created by the learning disability charity, Linkage Community Trust.

The winners of the Linkage ArtBeat Competition were announced at a special ceremony at the Trinity Centre, Louth, last week and two GANF pupil's were lucky recipients!

Nathan Aldridge and Joshua Oates entered their fantastic artwork into the competition. Nathan, with a landscape painting and Joshua, with his Lions head picture.

The aim of ArtBeat is to champion the creative work of students at special schools and those with additional needs. Altogether, more than 100 entries were submitted in different age categories. Entries included images of cats, rabbits, collages, a desert island and a self-portrait and some amazing photography. The top three in each age category – under-14, under-16 and over-16 – received cash prizes and the winning entry also received a specially-engraved plaque. Highly-commended entrants were given certificates.

Linkage Chief Executive Ges Roulstone said: “The first Linkage ArtBeat Awards attracted tremendous quality and I want to thank both the students and their teachers for their hard work. It was really special to see the delight on the pupils’ faces when they received their prizes at the ceremony. We want to build on this competition for 2016 and work with even more schools.”

The images will now form a touring exhibition to include the winning schools, Linkage events and the Lincolnshire Show, and they will also be published in a calendar for 2016, to mark Linkage’s 40th anniversary year.

GANF teacher, Oliver Maltby, "It was fantastic to see students from Lincolnshire and Yorkshire come together to celebrate the brilliant artwork on show. The pupils really enjoyed the day and can't wait to enter the competition again next year."